Separable swivel connection for conduits



Dec. 9, 1941. 1. COWLES' SEPARABLE SWIVEL CONNECTION FOR CONDUITS Filed March 8, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 DCC- 9, l. COWLES SEPARABLE SWIVEL CONNECTION FOR CONDUITS Filed March 8, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 hand end of Fig. l.-

menta Dec. 9,1941

SEPARABLE SWIVEL CONNECTION FOR CONDUITS Irving Cowles, Detroit, Mich, assignor to said Cowles and Rudolph W. Lots, Chicago,

successor cotrustecs The invention relates to the general class of couplings commonly styled "quick-detachable couplings" which are adapted to be interposed lll.,as

of Utility Patents Trust Application March a, 1939, Serial No. 260,476 .2 Claims. ((11. 284-19) between a source of supply of fluid under pressure and a conduit from which the same is discharged and has for its main object to provide a structure wherein the portion 01'' memberwith which the discharge conduit is adapted to be connected is rotatable relatively to that portion which is adapted to be connected with the source of supply. r

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient means whereby a fluid tight joint is maintained between the said rotatable member and the said other member without materially resistingrotation of said rotatable member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a very simple and eflicient means for coupling the separable parts of the structure against relative rotation, which parts are so located as not to interfere with the compactness of the structure or to sacrifice the structural advantages thereof.

Other objects of the invention are pointed out in and will be readily understood from the following description.

Suitable embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherem: V

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in central longitudinal section of a separable swivel con: nection constructed in accordance with the invention, showing the same fully assembled, as

in use.

Fig- 2 is a central, longitudinal view of the structure showing the component'separable elements thereof spaced from each other.

Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 are transverse, sectional views taken, respectively, on the lines 3-3 and H of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the coupling devoid of the self-closing valve of Fig. 1.

6 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 5 showing the body portion of the structure. alone.

Fig. 7 is a view partly in elevation and partly in central longitudinal section, of the cap element of the structure of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of the structured aligned with the smaller of the conduit port with which the member I is connected.

The portion of the body member I equipped with bore 2 is threaded externally for connection with a companion body member 5, said members I and 5 being equipped with hexagonal surface portions for engagement with wrenches or the like.

Disposed telescopically within the bore portion 2 is a sleeve 6 equipped with an annular recess for a gasket 1 which seats upon the annular shoulder between the bore portions 2 and 3, said sleeve being also equipped with an internal annular reeess8 containing a rubber gasket 9, substantially V-shaped in crossfsection, concentric annular legs, or flanges, the inner one of which is shorter than the outer, the outer cylindrical surface of the inner flange being bore of the sleeve 6 and spaced therefrom. a

A metallic washer I0 is interposed between the outer end of said sleeve 6 and an annular shoulder of the body member 5, the central 7 opening of said washer being of the. same diam- Fig. 6 looking at the right hand end of the latter. a

Fig. 9 is an end elevation looking at the left The stricture of Figs. 1 to 4 comprises a body member I having a large diameter bore portion 2 and a smaller diameter bore portion 3, both concentric with the bore of the nipple I, said last-named bore being usually the same as that eter as the smaller bore of said sleeve 6 and concentric therewith. I k

A valve ll of larger diameter than the smaller bore of the sleeve I0 is equipped with a hollow stem 12 engaging telescopically in said smaller bore portion of the sleeve 6 and is of substantially the same length as the said bore. Said valve l| carries a gasket l3 which is maintained normally seated on the opposed end of the sleeve 6 responsively to the action of the compression spring 14 interposed between the said valve II and the end wall of the body member I. The hollow stem l2 of said valve l I is provided with radialopenings In for the passage of fluid when the valve II is moved against the action of the spring M.

It will be noted that the discharge end portion of the casing member '5 has a cylindrical bore l5 and an end wall l6 provided with a substantially elliptical central opening. The side walls of said opening are spaced from the inner wall or bore l5 of said member. As illustrated, the opening comprises two opposed co-axial'arcuate wall portions and two opposedsmaller diameter arcuate wall portions. The axes of the latter are spaced equidistantly from the aforesaid axis, the three axes being disposed in a. common plate;

The smaller diameter end portions of said opening meet, or substantially meet, the lastnamed'bore l5. lying between the central part of said opening and the said bore are provided in their inner faces with arcuate recesses ,l'l corresponding in radius with the smaller diameter end portions of said openings and have their axes similarly The portions of the end wall l6 having I spaced from the first-named axis and disposed V in a plane of the latter extending at right angle to the, first-named plane. Thus the machining of the said endwall is rendered very simple in that the entire opening may be punched through said .end walll6 and said recess I'I"th en milled out in a welt-known manner.

1 The iwasher Ill provides a seat for a compres- 'sion' spring", the outer endof which'bridges the smaller diameter end'of said end wall opening and also ,bridges the recesses I 1.

A coupling. head' is equipped with a tubular stem of the same diameter as the stem I2 oivalve l is Provided forxcooperation withsaid stein l2 to open, the valve than the other end or main Rotatably, mounted uponth portion 2| a.

collar 23,,and a-ringmember2l.'- The latter is equipped with an annular inwardly projecting "flange which is disposed between the head I! and anannular shoulder of.tl1e collar 23.

. The collar 23 is of a diameter for snugly flttiiig' telescopically the central portion of the opening adapted to pass telescopically through the smaller diameter end portion to be received in said recesses ll. Interposed between the-collar. 23 and the is rendered rigidwith drive flt for obvious reasons;

scopically' the 'flange 22 is a tapered sleeve 21 which cooperates with the head is to hold the collar 23 against longitudinal.,movement.

The ring member 24- is adapted to receive 'teleoutei' end portion of thecasi-ng member 5.

. The collar and ring member 24- are easily Its- The stem 20 is j of slightly larger diameter-adjacent the head l9, as shown at 2|, portion 01' said stem, the latter being also "equipped with a shallow annular flange 22 spaced from said portion 2|.

oi-said-opening and";

erable nozzle to co asthe inner. diameter. of valve stem I in the end wall l6.' Atthe end oi the collar 23- opposed to the-flange22 are two diametrically. opposed crescent shaped flanges 26 which are tube adapted to be produced by'punch and drawing press operations,

the said shoulder .of said collarsupportingi'the ring member 24 being formed by a latheoperation. The sleeve 21 consists of an'initially cy lindrical sleeve which is passed telescopically over the flan e 22 and is then-tapered by a very;

simple operation.

Obvio'usly the head 19 coupled with the memwhen 'the head 1911s thus coupled with" as member. {the stem 20 is positioned as in Flgj'l.

tocause fluid to 'flow' through the same. 'Ihe'structure of Figs! 1-4 is -moreparticularly designed for high pressure conditions wherein the self-closing valve lzjis necessary to prevent in} jury to' operators while separating the head 23 and steni 20 from the body members 5 while the member I remainsconn'ected .witha source of fluid under'high pressure.

The spring l 8] may be omitted and a stronger sures a flow of fluid. through stem .2,265,287 I, 7 force the shorter flange oisaid gasket to be com-- pressed against the ste'm 20.toe1iminate escape of suchfluid' irom'the device otherwise than, thro'ughthe steni 20. a

The structure of Figs; 5 to inclusive, eliminates the valve l2, spring I andflsleeve 6; In

all other respects said structure coincides with ,ithat of Figs. 1:4 inclusive, and is adapted'for '-use ininstances where with the body member head is commonly equipped with a manually optrol discharge offluid under pressure. I

The main advantage with which the body member is connected, en-

tersfirst the chamber containing spring and flows readily thro h the openings of the valve-v v stem as soonas the valve II is opened. This as- 20 of same volume. as is admitted to said spring chamber,

20 is the same as that 01. the bore of the nipple 2.' I claim as my invention: 1. A coupling comprising in combination, a casing havingan intake valvechamber in one end end, a duct connecting said chambers, therebeing an annular and a spring 'ch'a'mber in itsother recess between the ends of said duct, a gasket mounted in said recess, theportion of said duct between said recess and spring chamber being cylindrical, a reoiprocable normally closed valve in. said valve chamber able in theadjacent portionof said duct and spaced from said recess, a cylindrical discharge. telescopically and rotatably disposed-in the c lindrical portion or said duct and through said gasket, a collarmounted -for rotation upon. said "tube and against longitudinalmovement thereon, a compression spring in said spring chamber disposed out of engagement with said ductand out of direct engageable relation to said tube and cooperating means on said collarand casing interengageable' to hold said collar non-rotatablyi engaged with ,said casing and stem to maintain said flanges 26"intothe recesses I]; said collar being l a. portion ofsaid 7 spring chamber being cylindricaha gasket mount-.

against movement away therefrom and maintain a 1 said means-on spring tohold the said cellar-engaged with said said cooperating means interengaged, said tube being engaged with said valve valve'ope'n when'said collar is disposed in said last-named position.

2. A coupling comprising incombination, a cask ing having an intake on ,duct opening into said ed against longitudinal. movement at the other end of said cylindrical duct portion; a'relnovable. cylindrical discharge tube, connectible witha flexible conduit, adapted rotatably engaged in said duct and with said gasket, a collar mounted to be telescopically-andfor rotation and against longitudinal movement vpressionspring in saidsprl'ng chamber disposed out of engaging relation to said duct spring I4 'employed if desired, in instances .of"

low fluid pressure uses of the structure-but, the

. use of two'springs shown is far preferable.

Leakage oi fluid through any possiblepoint of escape from the meet and 20 around the valve stemflwill'cause its flow into the hollow or the gasket and "thus 8 ends ofthe-stems l2 e and out of direct engageable relation. toasaid tube and engageable with said collar; and co-operating means on said collar and casing intereng'a'geable to hold said collar yieldably engaged against; rotation with respect to said casing' under theinfluence of said spring, said gasket maintaining. a fluid tight tube and said ,duc't.

joint between said 1 I IRVmG-COWLES the conduit. connected 1 la is equipped with a-control valveand the conduit connected with the of the structureoi'Figs; 1-4 lies in the fact that fluidfrom the source 2 and stem equipped with'a stem slidupon said tube, a com- 

